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Self-Employed or Business Owner

Problem Overview​

Your account verification is delayed because you indicated that you are self-employed or own a business, but we cannot determine what your business does. When there is no public information available about your business — no website, no LinkedIn page, no public filings describing the business activity — we need additional documentation before we can classify your account.

Why This Is Required​

Exchange regulations require Market Data to classify every subscriber as either a professional or non-professional data user. For self-employed subscribers, the classification depends on the nature of the business itself — specifically, whether the business is involved in financial services, investment management, or other activities that would qualify as professional use under exchange rules.

A self-reported business name alone is not sufficient. We need to independently confirm what the business does. See Account Verification Policy and Professional Status Policy for full details.

How to Fix​

The fastest way to resolve this is to provide a link to any public source that describes your business:

  • A business website
  • A company LinkedIn page
  • A business directory listing
  • A public filing that describes the nature of the business

Contact our support helpdesk with the link and we can typically verify your account the same day.

Option 2: Answer a Few Questions​

If your business does not have a public presence, contact our support helpdesk with the following information:

  1. The registered name of your business (if applicable).
  2. Your primary business activities and services — what does the business do?
  3. Whether your business:
    • Provides any investment advice or recommendations
    • Manages investments for others
    • Uses market data as part of its products or services
    • Shares or redistributes market data to others

If your business is not involved in any of the above, we can typically classify your account as non-professional.

Option 3: Provide Supporting Documentation​

You can also send any document that confirms your line of business:

  • A business registration or filing that describes the nature of the business
  • A brochure or marketing materials describing your products or services
  • Any other document that makes clear what the business does

What Triggers Professional Classification​

Your business activity — not your job title — determines your classification. Businesses that do any of the following are generally classified as professional:

  • Provide investment advice or financial planning
  • Manage investments or trade on behalf of others
  • Use market data as part of a commercial product or service
  • Redistribute or display market data to third parties

If your business is in a non-financial field (e.g., construction, healthcare, retail, technology), you will typically be classified as non-professional regardless of the fact that you are self-employed.

Still Need Help?​

If you are unsure how your business would be classified, please contact our support helpdesk and describe what your business does. Our support team will let you know what classification applies and what documentation, if any, is needed.

We typically respond within a few hours during market hours or within 1 business day outside of market hours.